Rhode Island Legal Overview The highest court in Rhode Island is the Rhode Island Supreme Court, with a Chief Justice and four associate justices. Rhode Island does not have an intermediate appellate court. The supreme court therefore has to take all appeals from the superior courts, which are the main trial courts with general jurisdiction. The district courts have limited jurisdiction over small claims, misdemeanors, felony arraignments and civil complaints involving less than $5,000. Rhode Island also has a family court, workers' compensation court and traffic tribunals. All state judges in Rhode Island are chosen and appointed for life by the state legislature.
Top metro Rhode Island areas for Legal Issues: New London-Norwich
1. Capital punishment is not part of the law in Rhode Island, which was among the first states to completely abolish the death penalty in 1852. It was reintroduced in 1872, but abolished again in 1984 without ever being called into use in the interim. Cases originating in Rhode Island have produced landmark judgments regarding individual rights. In Rhode Island v. Innis (1980), the U.S. Supreme Court broadened its interpretation of the meaning and scope of police interrogation as pertaining to Miranda Rights. In Lee v. Weisman (1992), the court decided to limit the role of religion in public schools. 2. The city of Providence, Rhode Island agreed not to the force the eviction of three sex offeners, while is a legal claim is pending over a Rhode Island that bans them from residing within 300 of an education facility. 3. A lawsuit in Rhode Island has been filed against privacy issues regarding the website LinkedIn.
Trending Rhode Island Legal Topics: The Rhode Island Bar Association (RIBA) was founded in 1898 as a unified state bar. Membership of the Bar Association is compulsory for the more than 4,100 lawyers who are licensed to practice law in the state of Rhode Island. RIBA has more than 5,800 members. The Board of Bar Examiners are appointed by the Rhode Island Supreme Court for five year terms and are responsible for processing lawyer admissions and administering and proctoring the Bar exams. RIBA, the Supreme Court and all the agencies and administrative offices of the Rhode Island judiciary are based in Providence, RI. |